Messy festivals are the most fun!
We at Festival Sherpa take pride in introducing our readers to the weirdest/coolest/most amazeballs and yet, unsung and underrated festivals from the shiftiest crevices of the world. Ergo, we love discovering new festivals. And we love enthusing about them to you. Here’s this week’s fix of quirky for you.
South Korea’s flagship ‘mud’ festival takes place in the heart of summer (Jul 17 – 26, 2015) where millions of visitors celebrate and revel in the healing properties of the local mud!
The festival includes all the possible messy activities that can be associated with Mud – from mud wrestling, sliding, massages to even mud photo contests. The idea of the festival originated in 1998 as a promotion tactic for the mineral-healthy mud found at Boryeong. Boryeong mud is famous for its beneficial effects for skin treatment, so the tourism board and the manufactures of the Boryeong mud products teamed up and invited visitors to proverbially drown themselves in the icky stuff.
After that, it was just a matter of time before this beauty product became the main feature at a massively populated festival, in a small town of South Korea. Of course, the lovely warm weather and tropical setting was an added incentive for travellers, especially those who hailed from cold countries. Although the fest is frequented by travellers, the get together is quite family friendly. You’ll often see kids and their parents descend on the beach with picnic baskets to watch all the ‘mud’ competitive activities on display.
Festival-goers can pick and choose from the variety of these competitions or just party and sling mud at each other in giant inflatable pools. Festival-goers can also treat themselves to mud facials and baths or even take part in body painting, pottery demonstrations and even soap making!
Ridding yourself of the grey slime isn’t a task. You can either take a dip in the sea or use one of the many showers provided. You will also be given locker space and storage at a nominal fee.
Before you leave, make sure to tank up on the abundant mud beauty products on sale. From mud shampoo, soap, sunblock and mudpacks – you’d be surprised by the variety of these amazing products.
Mud, music and mayhem are three apt words used to describe this festival. The festival also (almost religiously) features some fantastic music and dance entertainment for a holistic festival atmosphere . Hip-hop and pop musicians often headline this festival including the ever popular Korean B-boys. The closing night includes fireworks, parades and cultural performances.
The Boryeong Mud Festival is truly an immersive experience of Korean culture, mud-slinging and entertainment– making it the perfect pitstop for travellers making their way through South East Asia.
